morning. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> a little chilly. >> all the snow stayed up in new jersey and new york state. we have some wind and passing snow showers. 41 degrees at the airport. the wind is gusting towards 20 . it will be mostly sunny this afternoon. some good news in the seven-day forecast and for the weekend. >> so glad we don't have any

weather issues. northbound 95 is looking pretty jammed. traffic is at a crawl in howard county. we haven't accident at chapel road in westminster. closures in effect in the city at charles and lanvale because of a water main break. jennifer franciotti will have a live report. no problems on 95 towards the fort mchenry. here's a quick, live look at traffic. buy and continues to build on 795 prior to the beltway -- volume continues to build. traffic is snarled approaching 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11.

>> after hurricane sandy destroyed parts of the northeast coast, a winter storm is now drenching those same communities with rain and snow. >> rain, snow, and wind is drenching homes. entire communicaties range by hurricane sandy. >> it is overwhelming. >> very sad to see us getting pounded again. >> new fears of flooding. people are seeking shelter once again. >> shelter is available for free at the high school. >> hundreds of thousands just getting their lights back on are back in the dark. >> it is insult to injury, but

that is mother nature. >> this weather is miserable. >> cold, very cold. the sleep at night with blankets and socks and everything else on -- you sleep at night with blankets and socks. it is horrible. >> the storm is forcing airlines to cancel more than 1000 flights. lead to accidents on the roads. >> it is slippery, very slippery. >> i hate setbacks. i don't tolerate them. but this one, i cannot control. >> the season's first winter storm. people may finally get a chance to recover. forecasters say the conditions should warm up for the next couple of days. danielle leigh reporting.

>> ocean city dodged a bullet. they experienced moderate winds and waves. it was no help for those cleaning up from superstar sandy. >> right now it is pretty nasty and i guess it will get even nastier. as for the locals and the beach, it will be a mess. >> city officials are concerned about additional flooding. >> a water main break that flooded midtown baltimore yesterday turning parts of charles street into a small lake. jennifer franciotti has the latest. >> there was a nearby parking

lot that looked like a swimming pool. take a look. that water continues to flow down charles street. the water is coming down and we see the police cruiser. this is a 60-inch main that broke yesterday. that water went straight into the air and down south on charles street. firefighters had to go door-to- door to check on businesses and residents, making sure the water was not reaching the utility lines. b.g.e. is expecting gas lines to make sure that everything is ok before they begin repairs. >> you have valves that are located throughout this area and throughout the metropolitan

area. they get turned a number of times to turn off the water. >> it is my understanding that no one has lost their water. folks are experiencing low water pressure. that could change today. some folks could lose gas in this area. excavation is expected to start today. b.g.e. crews have left the area of charles and north avenue. they have been digging up the area. chunks of the road are piling up on the sidewalk. they have not been able to get to the break. this will take quite some time.

they can do anything until they get this water shut off safely. >> more than two dozen people lost their homes after a fire in anne arundel county. it's happened wednesday. 12 apartment units were severely damaged. about 30 people were displaced. >> sheila dixon could lose out on her pension after violating the terms of her probation. she had to pay $40,000 to charity after she was caught stealing gift cards. she is now in arrears. she said she was a victim of the economy. >> i will work harder to get this behind me. that is the bottom line.

>> she is due in court next month and hopes to get the problem taken care of this week. >> the focus in washington is back to congress to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. spending cuts and tax increases will kick in. john boehner echoed the president's remarks about bipartisan cooperation. >> we stand ready to work with you to do what is best for our country. that is what i told the president earlier today. >> closing special interests loopholes and cuts to entitlement programs. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day.

do you think a new spirit of bipartisanship corporation will allow congress to avoid the fiscal cliff? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> despite the long voting lines, fewer marylanders voted this year compared to four years ago. if the unofficial member holds, the 2012 presidential election will have the lowest voter turnout in maryland of any presidential election since 1984 . >> maryland casinos took in just under $40 million. this came at the expense of the other casinos. down near 40% in the past year

and ocean downs is down nearly 8%. >> 6:09. >> the device the post office has for you, coming up -- the advice the post office has for you, coming up. >> it would not be an irish festival without some guinness and some shepherd's pie. and some shepherd's pie. >> it's my coffee when i want it. you press a button, you have great dunkin' coffee. i got my coffee for the morning, i got my dunkin' k-cup packs for the rest of the day. only available at dunkin' donuts restaurants.

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>> good morning. 46 degrees downtown. pretty chilly when you factor in the wind. we had tossed a bullet in maryland -- we have dodged a bullet. we are talking about the maryland irish festival. you're the chef for the festival. some good food and some good drinks. >> we have 16 vendors.

we do irish beef stew, roast beef, fish and chips. we will have corned beef and cabbage and potatoes. doing guinness-glazed wing. >> the guinness isn't just for drinking. >> the shepherd's pie goes back 1700's.70 hunter it has mass potatoes, carrots, onions, peas. >> this will be sold and honoring a fallen officer. >> this is a new venture this year. this is dedicated to a baltimore police officer.

we're having musicians and a bar and shepherd's pie. all the tips from the port will be going to tommy's children's scholarship fund. >> it is benefiting the irish charities. great food and great drinks. you can buy tickets online or at the door. i was told to bring the tiebacpie back. >> how can you go wrong with that? we have been talking about the storm. all the accumulating snow took place in new york and new jersey. it is now south of boston.

we're still under its influence. we have a north wind. a couple of rain or snow showers are still possible this morning. do not be surprised if you see a passing rain shower today. i don't think you need to take an umbrella with you. 40's.nd lownd low the wind will gust over 20. it will be a breezy and chilly day. it will turn mostly sunny this afternoon. high temperature between 50 and 55. temperatures will climb above

average this weekend. 61 on saturday. 65 on sunday. the next chance for rain not until monday of next week. >> good morning. problems on northbound 95. ted the left lanes closed by an accident. -- two left lanes closed by an accident. the left tube is block for a disabled vehicle. we have a crash in westminster. continued closures in the city because of the water main break at charles street. used calvert or the j.f.x. this is northbound traffic.

we're starting to see some delays forming. traffic is barely moving northbound. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> thank you. a man in arizona is free this morning. a jury convicted him for murdering two people. a justice group cited no dna evidence and another man -- he was released. the man who pleaded guilty to shooting gabby giffords will b served a life sentence without the possibility for parole. 13 others were wounded in that

attack. spectacular flames in phoenix after a large number of hay bales caught on fire. no word on what started the fire. bacteria could release heat causing spontaneous combustion. >> the postal service wants to remind you to mail early to avoid the holiday rush. december 17 will be the busiest million day of 2012. using knows it code is better than using the wrong zip code -- using no zip code is better than using the wrong zip code.

jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. walmart is gearing up for a black friday. a different strategy this year. in-store specials start thanksgiving night at 8:00 p.m. the next wave is 10:00 p.m. with a focus on electronics. they are starting black friday sales two hours earlier this year. a huge sell-off yesterday for stocks. investors worried about a big budget showdown. the bloomberg maryland index falling on losses for lockheed martin. , many're headed to bwi

people will travel from november 16 thru november 27. the forecast is a bright spot. if you chat away on skype, there is more debate over whether it should be allowed. the faa should dictate how people should use the internet which includes making skype calls. calls disturb other passengers. at the new york stock exchange, i'm jane king, bloomberg news, for wbal-tv 11 news. >> what if they whisper while they talke? >> the ravens prepare for their game on sunday. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

hey! hey, baby. [ starts car ] were you eating smoked sausage in here? no! no. could have gotten me one. i did.

try the unmistakable flavor of dunkin' donuts' smoked sausage breakfast sandwich. it's deliciously irresistible. hurry in today. the smoked sausage breakfast sandwich is only at dunkin' donuts for a limited time. grab one today. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. problems on northbound 95. you can see the result. gent conditions. taking 295 as your alternate.

for a disabled vehicle in the left -- watch for a disabled vehicle in the left tube. closures in the city at charles street. take 21st street for east and west traffic. here's a quick, live look at traffic. this is 95 at 198. there are some northbound delays. it is heavy prior to 32. it is barely moving. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning. it will be a breezy and chilly today. 36 in parkton. 41 at the airport. we'll start out with some clouds this morning. mostly sunny this afternoon.

high temperature between 50 and 55. here is keith mills. >> thank you. good morning. the ravens are 8-point favorites to beat the raiders on sunday. haloti ngata and we will read more of your responses in the next hour and post all of them on the front page of our website, wbaltv.com -- haloti ngata and and ed reed did not practice yesterday. carson, through 60 passes last week -- carson palmer threw 16 passes last week. an imitation of joe flacco. >> you want to try to win the

game. weekend run or pass -- we can run or pass. >> so i as you -- did he nail it? of course he nailed it. i want to see him do buck showalter. buck showalter is a finalist for manager of the year. it will be a big store if it wasn't a finalist. bob melvin and robin ventura are also a finalists. how about t-sizzle? >> the challenge is on. >> there you go.

>> 41 degrees at the airport. this is looking to cash in on the passing of question 6. >> investors looking for a stock-market rebound and help lawmakers will avoid tumbling off of the fiscal cliff. >> water continues to flow down charles street

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 6:00 a.m. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. it has been a cold week. >> we will make it into the 60's this weekend. we have the leftover breeze and chill today. we have a 30% chance for passing rain or snow shower.

high temperature of 53 degrees and it will feel cooler because of the wind. >> global markets are following wall street's lead downward. >> lawmakers are trying to ease concerns about the fiscal cliff. >> we are hearing about working together. it remains to be seen. the closing bell ended a rough day on wall street as the dow dropped below 13,000. investors seemed spooked. the rating will be downgraded if congress does nothing about the

fiscal cliff. but compromise seemed to be the word of the day from leaders on both sides of the aisle. >> it is better to work together. >> john boehner signaled his party may be open to a deal. he would prefer for a more temporary solution for now till the new congress can hammer out the reforms next year. harry reid wondered why the wait. >> we know what the issue is and we need to solve the issue. >> president obama is looking ahead to the lame-duck meeting next week. hallie jackson, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you.

there is a water main that ruptured on wednesday turning streets into rivers. jennifer franciotti is live. >> the work is slow but sure. it looked like a raging river yesterday. as the look of charles street, the break in the main happened on east 20th street causing the road to buckle. the water is still flowing but looking like nothing like it did yesterday morning. the repairs have not begun yet. big time traffic jam. getting a around a huge problem in one of the busiest parts of baltimore city. the evening rush hour traffic --

it is as bad as predicted. this morning is not expected to be any better. the problem started yesterday morning when water began gushing out of the 60-inch water main. charles street flooded. some homes and businesses were evacuated. >> they said we had to evacuate. they said it was bad so we got out immediately. >> officials went into structures to check for safety conditions. crews began the slow process of turning off the water. >> you have valves that are located throughout this area and throughout the metropolitan area. they get turned a number of times to turn off the water. >> b.g.e. is working to secure a gas line near the break. crews have had to make sure there are no problems with the lines. meanwhile, some customers have low water pressure and traffic jams are expected to continue. roads are shut down and officials are not giving a

timeline. excavation is scheduled to begin today. the pipe that broke is 90 years old. >> the state stands to cash in on a new economic market -- same-sex weddings. new customers for caterers and other wedding-related businesses. >> we do know we will see an increase in weddings. they don't have to go someplace else. we want to expose our members to this marketplace. >> new york city took in $259 million in additional revenue when it allowed same-sex marriage on the books.

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> we have some heavy traffic on northbound 95 in howard county because of an accident. we're in the red leading up to it. continued closures at charles and lanvale because of that water main break. used calvert or the j.f.x. for north-south traffic. 52 miles per hour on the north side. tapping the brakes at liberty. here's a quick, live look at traffic. this is 95 near the fort mchenry. we had a disabled vehicle but that has been cleared. 95 at route 32, it has been

inching along. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie is at the timonium fairgrounds. >> we're getting ready for the big maryland irish festival. you guys were selected for the taste of guinness cookoff. that means you'll be featured at the festival. >> it felt wonderful to be selected. >> the dish had to have guinness in it. we'll talk all about the dish and talk more about the festival. a quick check of the forecast. the seven-day in showing things are improving. some light sprinkles this morning. it will be a beautiful this

weekend. much warmer and sunshine for the ravens. >> the food looks pretty good. 6:38. how happy do you think this guy is? >> we are still taking your answers to our water cooler question of the day. do you think a new spirit of bipartisanship corporation will allow congress to avoid the fiscal cliff?you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. u

>> plenty of double takes by drivers in sydney. giraffe got to take in the sight. she is old enough to mix with other giraffes and visitors. >> our new favorite panda cub at the san diego zoo. it turned 100 days old today.

more than 23 inches from nose to tail. the name will be revealed in a public ceremony on november 13 . look at that face. that is just precious. >> all right. 6:41. 41 degrees at the airport. >> the morning commute looking pretty busy in howard county. >> we go with what sounds the coolest. it is a breezy and chilly morning. good news in the seven-day forecast. stay tuned. stay tuned.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. the formalities will be complete this evening after anthony batts is officially sworn in a to office. he has been on the job since late september. beila dixon's pension could in jeopardy. she was ordered to pay $40,000 to charity. she's now more than $13,000 behind on those payments. more than two dozen people lost homes after a fire in anne

arundel county. this happened on wednesday. 12 apartment units were severely damaged but nobody was hurt. the cause of the fire is still under investigation. >> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> time to take a look at your morning commute. heavy delays on northbound 95 in howard county. stay to the right and you can get by. northbound motorists almost at a standstill. continued closures because of the water main repair. take calvert to avoid it. on the north side, not too bad. there are some west side delays

approaching liberty and edmondson. word of an accident on route 1 in bel air. this is perring parkway. no delays on the north side. northbound 95 is not moving just past 32. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie is that the timonium fairgrounds. >> we are making everybody hungary. one of the dish will be featured here. let's play a game of connect the dots. there was a fundraiser in which chef's choice award. let's talk about the dish.

>> it is lamb. it is natural thing. we look for fresh things to add to it. >> it is basically in san which form -- sandwich form. >> the competition was to make a dish with guinness. that was a key point. >> the genius of the chef. this will be featured at the festival. where will you be located? >> we will be in the guinness beer garden area of the festival. >> many good things to look

forward to. food and adult beverages. you can learn about the irish heritage. with local back to tony -- we'll go back to tony. this looks delicious. >> you can pour guinness on almost anything and say the recipe. even secereal. what did you think -- what do you think? thank you, ava. the irish festival will be a lot of fun. it is a powerful storm. it is south of nantucket.

there are some light rain showers try to pass on the backside of it. did not be surprised if the ca light rain shower this morning -- do not be surprised if you see a light rain shower this morning. it feels like it is in the upper 20's and low 30's. another breezy and chilly day today. a chance for a rain shower this morning. mostly sunny this afternoon. the average high as 59. we'll move back into the 60's this weekend. 56 tomorrow with sunshine. 65 on sunday.

good weather for the ravens. one more day with the windy, it chilly stuff. smooth sailing through the weekend. >> some big problems for traffic around penn station this morning. jennifer franciotti has the latest. >> it has been slow but sure. this is the water that is flowing down charles street. the break is that charles and east 20th. the water continues to flow. they are working with businesses and homes to make sure that everybody has a minimal impact because of the water main break.

folks have not lost water. they have low water pressure. excavatione to start sometime today to get to the fee that is 17 feet below the roadway. it is a big pipe. these roadways are shut down. businesses do remained opened. we have seen lots of folks checking things out. the power does remain on. firefighters are making sure the levels have not affected the utilityies. no word of when repairs will begin and one this area will be back open. jennifer franciotti, wbal-tv 11

news. >> thank you. 6:52. 41 degrees at the airport. coming up, we'll look at your answers to our water cooler question of the day. question of the day. >> plus, hey! hey, baby. [ starts car ] were you eating smoked sausage in here? no! no. could have gotten me one. i did. try the unmistakable flavor of dunkin' donuts' smoked sausage breakfast sandwich. it's deliciously irresistible. hurry in today. the smoked sausage breakfast sandwich is only at dunkin' donuts for a limited time. grab one today.

>> time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- do you think a new spirit of bipartisanship corporation will allow congress to avoid the fiscal cliff?

>> we will post more of your answers on our website. could a daily dose of afternoon tea help against diabetes? >> is this the end of the comic book shop down the street? >> we still have the problem on northbound 95 just past 32. it has taken a while to clear this accident.

word of an accident south on 95 near the icc. the water main break, a big problem at charles and lanvale. an accident in bel air on route 1. we have light traffic here to make you feel better. northbound 95 is crawling in howard county up towards 32. >> today will be a breezy and cold. by the weekend, we will get into the 60's. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a good -- aw!